"No problem, just have her come to me when you're unavailable."
Valtava readily agreed to Marco's request.
After all, he didn't have much to do in Magnolia these days, and having an extra student to teach when he wasn't performing suited him just fine.
As for her being a royal princess and future queen—these titles meant nothing to Master Valtava.
He had already achieved fame and success, with disciples like Marco who had surpassed their master.
There was little left for him to pursue.
To Valtava, this was simply about helping Marco out.
Since Princess Hisui was Marco's apprentice, that technically made her his grand-disciple.
It was only natural for him to assist when Marco couldn't teach her.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Marco expressed his gratitude to the old master, knowing he might have to trouble him frequently in the future.
"Don't mention it. Actually, there's an even simpler solution—have her form a contract with Lyra. Isn't she a Celestial Spirit Mage? Lyra could teach her directly."
Valtava waved his hand and proposed a new idea—a more convenient method that would allow Hisui to receive lessons anytime, anywhere, without having to seek him out.
"That's a great idea, but how easy is it to find Lyra's key?" Marco asked.
While this approach would indeed be more convenient, the issue was that Princess Hisui didn't possess the key to the Celestial Spirit Lyra.
The Celestial Spirit Lyra wasn't one of those spirits with numerous counterparts.
Keys to Lyra were relatively rare.
"Just ask Lyra. She wouldn't refuse a child who loves the lyre. As for the key—if the king wants it, would it really be hard to find? It's not like it's a Zodiac key."
Valtava smiled knowingly.
Based on his understanding of his old friend Lyra, this wouldn't be a problem at all.
The key was even less of a concern.
Lyra wasn't a combat-oriented spirit—in fact, she was practically useless in battle.
Nor was she like the Canis Minor spirit, which could serve as a companion pet.
Thus, while Lyra's keys weren't abundant, they were far from being in high demand.
If the royal family put out word, they'd likely find one quickly.
"Alright, I'll bring Hisui here tomorrow to meet Lyra in person. If they hit it off, we can have the king search for the key." Marco nodded.
This approach sounded interesting—first establishing a verbal contract with the spirit, then finding the key to summon her.
With this matter settled, Marco left the theater.
Hisui needed time to settle in today; he'd bring her to meet her grand-master tomorrow.
After exiting the theater, Marco headed home—only to find Laxus at his doorstep.
Laxus was packing his belongings, loading his daily necessities onto a carriage.
"So... you're moving out now?" Marco asked in surprise.
The time he'd spent resolving the Heartfilia conglomerate's issues had been considerable—long enough for Laxus's new house to be completed.
"Yeah." Laxus replied casually as he placed items onto the carriage.
"Looks like everyone's construction skills have improved. They finished this much faster than when they built Mira's family home last time." Marco sighed with emotion.
He hadn't seen Laxus's new house yet, nor had he been able to help with anything—completely missing out on the whole process.
"It's a bit smaller than hers," Laxus replied.
After all, he lived alone, whereas Mira's family had three people.
With additional rooms like a study and guest rooms, her place was naturally much larger.
"Indeed, there's no need to build it too big. You can always expand later if needed. The surrounding land isn't going to be developed anyway."
Marco nodded, understanding why the construction had been so quick this time.
The needs of a single person versus a family of three were bound to be different.
As they spoke, Marco stepped forward to help move things.
Laxus didn't have much to carry, and since they weren't relocating any furniture, the two of them finished quickly.
Soon, they boarded the carriage, and the brothers headed out of the city.
"You didn't invite everyone over for a housewarming party?" Marco asked on the carriage, keeping his expression neutral.
He deliberately kept engaging Laxus in conversation, observing his state.
"No." Laxus kept a stiff face, answering calmly.
Normally, he could have just ignored Marco—it wouldn't have been the first time.
But the more someone tried to pretend they were fine, the more they had to act composed.
Ignoring Marco would make it seem like he had something to hide.
So even though he was uncomfortable, he forced himself to keep up the small talk.
What he didn't realize was that this only made him seem even more awkward.
Marco's expression turned odd, but he didn't call Laxus out.
The ever-stubborn Laxus probably didn't know that for a Dragon Slayer Mage, not getting motion sickness on vehicles was actually a sign of poor skill. (lol)
Soon, the carriage arrived at the forest east of the city.
Laxus's home was further out than Mira's, already nestled within the woods—though still on the outskirts.
Unlike Porlyusica, who lived deep in the forest, Laxus wasn't that much of a recluse.
After helping Laxus move everything inside, Marco took a look around.
Laxus's house was indeed smaller than Mira's.
The first floor had a living room, dining area, kitchen, and bathroom, while the second floor only had a master bedroom, a guest room, and a music room—just a simple two-story home.
"Is this guest room for me?" Marco called out after opening the door upstairs.
"Don't flatter yourself," came Laxus's indifferent voice from downstairs.
"..."
Marco shook his head.
Frankly speaking, who else would ever stay at Laxus's place?
The guest room was practically unnecessary!
Closing the door, Marco went back downstairs and watched as Laxus continued unpacking.
"How about inviting everyone over tomorrow for a housewarming party?" Marco suggested.
Moving into a new home was no small occasion—it was worth gathering everyone to celebrate and liven up the place.
A house shouldn't feel so lonely.
"No."
Unsurprisingly, Laxus rejected the idea without hesitation.
"..."
Marco rolled his eyes but couldn't do anything about it.
If Laxus wasn't willing, Marco couldn't just invite everyone on his behalf.
"They completed their job requests well and quickly. I was satisfied, so I gave them bonuses on my own."
As Marco sat silently in a chair, Laxus—carrying a box upstairs—casually added this remark, as if it were nothing.
"Oh?" Marco's eyes lit up with surprise.
Laxus, who had always despised fellow guild members engaging in such matters, had actually taken the initiative to offer a bonus? Naturally, this was quite astonishing.
"How about gathering everyone for another meal together?" Marco proposed again.
Simply giving money felt too formal—eating, drinking, and having fun together would foster better camaraderie.
He really wanted Laxus to take center stage and host a gathering, since the guy usually kept to himself.
Lately, there had been subtle shifts in Laxus's mindset, giving Marco hope that he might eventually complete the [My Foolish Older Brother] mission.
That's why Marco was so proactive about this.
He wanted to strike while the iron was hot, helping Laxus integrate into the group more quickly.
If successful, it would mean another "Gold Cloth" was within reach.
What once seemed an impossible dream now felt tantalizingly close—two pieces, no less!
One was practically secured already.
The Heartfilia conglomerate's southern railway network project had cleared all obstacles, and it was only a matter of time before that "Gold Cloth" was his.
But changing Laxus's personality?
That mission was far more abstract, unlike the concrete goal of building a railway.
Marco had been working hard at it, always inviting Laxus to group activities, though with little success.
"No need."
Laxus headed upstairs, leaving behind that refusal.
Marco sighed.
Clearly, progress couldn't be rushed—reaching this point had already been no small feat.